Surface preparation for renewed finishing of surfaces preliminary to applying paint, varnish, shellac, lacquer, and the like frequently requires partial or total removal of the previous finish to insure quality restoration. Large areas of existing finish sometimes are removed by a solvent or sanding. Local areas of blistering, peeling, flaking or other forms of finish deterioration are commonly removed by using a hand held scraper. Elimination of the existing peeling or flaking avoids the potential problem of applying a new finish over an unbonded area that could in turn lead to premature peeling or flaking of the new finish.
Surface finishes are sometimes removed by first applying a coating of paint remover. Once softened by the paint remover, the affected area can then be scraped by a scraping tool to remove the old coating. It is desirable to scrape away the paint without scratching or cutting the underlying surface.